Moon Area's Liv DeGori captures WPIAL 3A girls golf individual title

Heading into the final round of the WPIAL 3A girls high school golf championships at Valleybrook Golf Course on Monday, Oct. 5, Moon Area senior Liv DeGori had no thoughts of capturing the WPIAL title after coming into the day four strokes off the lead.

But despite the deficit entering the day and not having the greatest of starts on the back nine, the senior not only qualified for her third-straight PIAA championship, but also won WPIAL 3A gold with a score of +11.

“All I was thinking heading into the day was make top seven and get back to states,” DeGori said. “To win the whole thing was not on my radar, but I am super proud of myself with the way I battled back late in the round.”

The win will be a moment that DeGori will not soon forget, having to not only battle back from four strokes down, but also fight off a double-bogey and bogey on the front and a pair of bogeys on the back.

DeGori came back to shoot (+2) on the front after carding a birdie on hole five to finish with a score of 38.

Then on the back, DeGori found herself in trouble once again, posting back-to-back bogeys on holes 10-11.

But following a rough two holes, she recorded an eagle, followed by a birdie and par on holes 16-18 to finish two shots ahead of Peters Township’s Betty Glyptis, who finished the tournament +13.

“I just tried to stay positive throughout the whole round,” DeGori said. “I was very calm and wasn’t nervous at all when I was playing, even when I had some setbacks. That allowed me to hit the ball well and be confident when I hit a shot or made a putt.”

It was a historic day for DeGori and the Moon Area program, with the senior becoming just the second golfer in program history to win a WPIAL individual championship.

The last Moon Area golfer to win the Class 3A championship was 36 years ago when Coleen Scally won the title back in 1989.

Now, DeGori adds her name to the Moon Area history books, while also becoming the first Beaver Valley golfer since Quaker Valley’s Eva Bulger four years ago, who won four straight WPIAL individual titles from 2019-22.

“It’s so crazy to be just the second golfer in Moon Area girls golf history to win a WPIAL championship,” DeGori said. “Knowing that I am part of that school history and that it will live on at Moon is special.”

The victory comes as DeGori is playing some of the best golf of her senior season and now will look to continue that success at the PIAA 3A girls golf championships on Monday, Oct. 19 at Penn State’s White Course.

Heading back to state for the third consecutive season, DeGori has one goal in mind after placing tied for 20th as a junior and 35th as a sophomore.

“I’ve been playing really well all season long and my goal throughout the year was to make it back to states and medal,” DeGori said. “I am pushing myself to achieve that goal and I am excited to get back there.”

Ethan Morrison is the sports reporter for the Beaver County Times. Contact him at emorrison@usatodayco.com and follow him at EthanMorrison26 on X.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Moon Area’s Liv DeGori captures WPIAL 3A girls golf individual title